Identify the item listed below that is not an advantage of employees working in teams to
help organizations succeed.
a. increased information and knowledge
b. increased groupthink among members
c. higher performance levels
d. increased diversity of views

When a team member does not contribute his/her fair share to the group’s activities, the
team member is often called a/an
a. non-participant.
b. free rider.
c. ineffective team player.
d. person with a hidden agenda.

When belonging to a team is more important to members than making the right decision,
that team may develop what is termed
a. diversity of views.
b. increased performance levels.
c. groupthink.
d. effective team work.

ANSWER: c. When belonging to a team is more important to members than making the
right decision, that team may develop what is termed “groupthink.”
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 29; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept
8.

Hidden agendas occur in teams when team members
a. don’t contribute their fair share.
b. have private motives that affect the group’s interaction.
c. place greater value on belonging to a team than making right decisions.
d. read one another’s nonverbal messages.

ANSWER: b. Some team members can have private motives that affect the group’s
interaction.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 29; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept
9.

Effective teams do all of the following except:
a. have a clear sense of purpose
b. reach decisions by consensus
c. think creatively
d. all of the above

Organizational communication can be achieved most effectively through group meetings
a. Always.
b. when group dialogue stays between the team leader and individual.
c. when memos and individual conversations won’t accomplish your goals.
d. only when an organization has expert communicators.

ANSWER: c. Often times, you can achieve your purpose most effectively with a phone call,
a private conversation or through a memo.
DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 32; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept
13.

The two main types of meetings are
a. informational and decision-making.
b. problem and solution.
c. analytical and comprehensive.
d. focused and free-form.

When selecting participants for a team meeting, you should
a. include everyone who might possibly have any connection to the topic at hand.
b. include only the senior level workers on the project.
c. include only those people whose presence is essential.
d. include as many people as you can fit in the room where the meeting will be.

ANSWER: c. Only include those people who are essential to the project. You will waste
anyone else’s time.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 32; OBJECTIVE: 2; TYPE: application

21

Full file at http://testbank360.eu/test-bank-business-communication-essentials-3rdedition-courtland-l
15.

Generally, morning meetings are more productive and should be used for
a. meetings in which information is shared with others.
b. those times when large groups of people must meet.
c. customer meetings.
d. work sessions.

An effective agenda answers which of the following questions?
a. What do we need to do in this meeting to accomplish our goals?
b. What issues will be of greatest importance to all the participants?
c. What needs do each of the participants have?
d. both a and b

Identify the one trait that does not characterize a responsible leader of a meeting.
a. keeps the meeting on track
b. paces the presentation and discussion
c. encourages discussion from less vocal participants
d. dominates the meeting

As a leader, if one person is dominating the meeting and not letting others contribute, you
should
a. ask that person to leave the meeting.
b. ignore the situation but not invite that person to the next meeting.
c. politely point out that time is limited and that others need to be heard from too.
d. all of the above

Using oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own values, beliefs, ideas, and expectations to assign meaning to sounds and
words is called _________ in the listening process.
a. receiving
b. evaluating
c. interpreting
d. analyzing

Full file at http://testbank360.eu/test-bank-business-communication-essentials-3rdedition-courtland-l
25.

Most of us listen
a. very effectively since it is such an easy skill.
b. very ineffectively, remembering about half of what we hear.
c. better when we are tired.
d. better when the subject matter is complex.

ANSWER: b. Most of us remember only about half of what we hear and of that we forget
another half within 48 hours.
DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 37; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept
26.

All of the following are elements in the listening process except:
a. interpreting
b. remembering
c. focusing
d. evaluating

Which of the following is not a barrier to effective listening?
a. self-centeredness
b. focusing on the content of the message rather than the style of delivery
c. prejudging and operating on assumptions
d. listening selectively

In selective listening, the listeners
a. distort the message by tuning out anything that doesn’t confirm their
assumptions.
b. tend to take control of the conversation.
c. tune out until they hear something that gets their attention.
d. all of the above

Which of the following is not a trait of good listening?
a. finding areas of interest in common with the speaker
b. not interrupting the speaker
c. listening to other sounds while someone is speaking
d. paraphrasing the speaker’s ideas at key pauses

Effective listeners will engage in all of the following except:
a. making eye contact with the speaker
b. giving the speaker nonverbal cues
c. interrupting when they disagree
d. looking for opportunities to learn

Ineffective listeners will engage in all of the following activities, except:
a. not taking notes
b. allowing their mind to wander
c. being judgmental and becoming distracted by stylistic differences
d. making distinctions between main points and supporting details

Listeners who engage in selective perception
a. focus on the speaker’s appearance.
b. mold messages to fit what they already believe about the subject.
c. let their attention wander.
d. do all of the above

Which of the following is not an example of nonverbal communication?
a. British listeners staring at the speaker and blinking their eyes to indicate
understanding
b. An American leaving a telephone voice message
c. Germans tossing their head back to call someone to come closer
d. A Greek nodding slightly upward to signal ‘no’

Identify the one item that is not a valid claim concerning touching behavior.
a. conveys warmth, comfort, and reassurance
b. accepted norms for touching behavior vary
c. is governed by varying social customs
d. all of the above

Identify the one item that is not a method for improving your nonverbal communication.
a. pay close attention to your vocal characteristics
b. expect business professionals to share the same attitudes toward time
c. maintain the eye contact your audience expects
d. use touch only when appropriate

_____ Some managers report that a little more than half of their meetings were actually
productive and that a quarter of them could have been handled by a phone call or memo.

ANSWER: True. Some managers report that a little more than half of their meetings were
actually productive and that a quarter of them could have been handled by a phone call or
memo.
DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 32; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept
50.

_____ You can always achieve the purpose of organizational communication most
effectively through group meetings.

Full file at http://testbank360.eu/test-bank-business-communication-essentials-3rdedition-courtland-l
52.

_____ If a meeting is purely for informational purposes and one person will be doing
most of the talking, you can include a relatively large group.

ANSWER: True. Problem solving meetings or those for the purpose of developing a plan or
reaching a decision are best limited to six to twelve people.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 32; OBJECTIVE: 2; TYPE: concept
53.

_____ For work sessions, afternoon and even night meetings are most productive.

_____ Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to limit the time spent on each agenda item.

ANSWER: True. To cover all items on an agenda, it is important to limit the time spent on
each.
DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 33-34; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept
58.

_____ Parliamentary procedure can be effectively used in both large and small group
meetings.

ANSWER: True. Used correctly, parliamentary procedure can serve participants in both
small and large group meetings.
DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 34; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept
59.

_____ Summarizing the conclusions of the discussion at the end of a meeting wastes
valuable time.

ANSWER: False. Wrapping things up ensures that all participants agree on the outcome
and gives people a chance to clear up any misunderstandings.
DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 34; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept

29

Full file at http://testbank360.eu/test-bank-business-communication-essentials-3rdedition-courtland-l
60.

_____ It is appropriate for the leader of a meeting to ask shy individuals for their input
on certain issues.

ANSWER: True. It is important for everyone to participate in most meetings.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE 34; OBJECTIVE 3; TYPE: concept
61.

_____ It is important to have minutes of both formal and informal meetings.

ANSWER: Any two of the following should be listed. 1) Increasing information and
knowledge. 2) Increasing the diversity of views. 3) Increasing the acceptance of a solution.
4) Increasing performance levels.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 29; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept
95.

List and briefly describe 3 important forms of meeting technologies in use today.

ANSWER: 1) Groupware is an umbrella term for systems that let people communicate,
share files, present materials, and collaborate. 2) Shared workspaces are “virtual offices”
that give everyone on a team access to the same set of resources and information. 3)
Videoconferencing combines audio communication with live video, letting team members
see each other, demonstrate products, and transmit other visual information.
DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 35-36; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept
97.